Smart home products are growing in popularity because they are so convenient. A smart thermostat, for example, will alter the temperature inside your home autonomously. It can do things like power up the AC when you leave work, so your home is nice and cool by the time you get there.

There are a ton of smart home products, including deadbolts, automated cleaners, and even security cameras. They do some cool things, and they’re extremely convenient. Like these smart lightstrips, which you can control remotely from your smartphone.

But one of the more interesting and popular products are smart doorbells, which – believe it or not – can offer a great deal of convenience and security for your home.

Initially, the idea of a “smart” or video doorbell seems silly, but hear us out. Just like any other smart product, they are capable of doing a lot – certainly more than just letting you know someone is at your front door.

What Is a Smart Doorbell?

A “smart” doorbell is meant to replace your traditional doorbell. They’re essentially the same thing, with a few enhancements.

They include a camera for live video interactions and security monitoring, two-way audio for communication with people at your front door, and motion sensing for proximity alerts.

Why You Need It

You can use a video doorbell to answer your door without actually opening it and coming face-to-face with whoever is waiting. You can see if you’ve received a package, if a friend is visiting, or if there is a salesman, thief, or other undesirable person at your door all from the comfort of your smartphone. It’s safe and convenient.

Thanks to the network connection, the doorbell can do a lot more than just ring. Imagine for a moment, if your doorbell could turn on the light in your front hallway as soon as someone pressed it? Also, video doorbells can also ping other devices like a smart thermostat – Nest, for example – to activate various functions in your home.

Most video doorbells can be installed in place of your original doorbell. Others run on batteries so they can be attached to the wall outside your front door. It depends on the model you choose. For the most part installation is pretty simple.

As for ease of use, you control video doorbells from a smartphone remotely. Because this is done via a mobile app it’s remarkably simple.

Cost

The price depends on what make and model you buy, which also hinges on included functionality. Typically, smart doorbells are somewhere in the range of $75 to $300.

One of the most renowned, the August Doorbell is available from Amazon.com for $230. Smart doorbells use an existing Wi-Fi connection – like your home network – to sync with iOS or Android phones.

Now that you know what a smart video doorbell is, why would you need something like this? Read on for six reasons why…

1. To Remain Safe and Secure

Keep a watchful eye on your home.

When someone rings your doorbell – especially if you’re not expecting a visitor – there’s no telling who it might be. Sure, it could be the mailman or a friendly door-to-door salesman, but it could also be someone unscrupulous. You never know who you’re going to find, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

A smart doorbell will allow you to stay safely tucked away inside your home. When someone rings it, you can communicate with them without ever opening the door.

Most smart doorbells are equipped with a speaker and mic so you can call out to the visitor and they can reply. Most come with a camera so you can see who you’re talking to. Most smart doorbells can interact with connected home security devices like a surveillance camera. In this way, you can set up an entire smart home security system complete with the doorbell, cameras, sensors, and more.

2. To Keep an Eye on Things While You’re Away

Most smart doorbells are equipped with security features like motion sensors, cameras, and a remote viewing app. You can use them to make sure your home is secure.

Premium home security systems are costly, and most require a monthly – or yearly – subscription. Why not substitute with your own smart home security products – like a smart doorbell?

While you’re on vacation, you can check in and make sure your front door or entryway is safe. You can also keep an eye on mail or packages that are dropped off. Or, if you need to, you can talk directly to a delivery man or woman and tell them the best place to put your items.

Like you’d expect, the devices with cameras can even take a snapshot of someone shady, which you can use later to hand over to law enforcement.

3. Because They’re More Convenient Than a Regular Doorbell

You can see they look just like a regular doorbell, but they have a ton of extra features.

As we’ve already explained. When someone rings the doorbell, you can answer from anywhere in your home. Heck, you can even answer if you’re not home. Just open the smartphone app and take a look at who’s waiting for you.

The app will send notifications and alerts when someone rings the bell. So, on top of hearing the bell, you’ll also be able to tell via your phone when someone is at the door.

If it’s someone soliciting or someone you don’t trust, you never even have to stop what you’re doing. You can take a look with the app, and either ignore them or ask them to leave.

Remember all those times you were fresh out of the shower and missed the delivery man at your front door? You can make sure that never happens again!

How convenient is that?

4. They Can Interface with Other Smart Home Products

The Ring Wi-Fi doorbell can interact with other smart home tech.

The beauty of a connected home is that all your devices can communicate with one another. Many smart home gadgets can do this through a central hub like Wink, while others can do it via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

This opens up a multitude of possibilities. For example, a smart doorbell that syncs with a smart lock will allow you to see who’s at the door and unlock it – even if you’re not home. You can use them to let family or friends in your house while you’re away. You can also use them to keep unwanted folks out.

Another common connection people make is syncing their smart doorbell with smart lights on your porch. Through simple recipes made through IFTTT in the doorbell’s app, you can set up situations where your lights come on if motion is sensed, or if someone rings your doorbell.

These connections enhance security and convenience and there are many more opportunities out there!

5. You Can Communicate with Visitors

You can communicate with anyone at your front door, like the mailman.

One of the best features of “smart” doorbells is that they come with two-way audio support. That means you can not only hear someone at your door when they talk, but you can talk back. In other words, you can have a full-on conversation with someone at your door without ever opening it.

Believe us when we say, you’ll never understand the novelty and convenience of such a thing until you can take advantage of it.

You can communicate with a delivery man or service professional, or tell guests to come to the back of the house. You can even shout at solicitors if you so desire. How fun would it be to scream “get off my porch” and watch them scurry away?

6. They’re Easy to Install

They can be installed in place of your original doorbell.

Many smart video doorbells replace your traditional doorbell easily.

It’s generally as simple as removing your old doorbell and installing the new one. You can always hire a professional to come do the work for you, but there’s no need. Most smart doorbells are easy to install yourself.

This is also great to know if you pick up a model that runs on batteries because at some point you’ll need to change them. Since the doorbell is easy to install yourself, it is also pretty easy to replace the batteries at will.

If you’re looking to replace your current doorbell, using the wiring from the old doorbell is super simple – you don’t even need to keep track of positive and negative wires.

Whatever the case may be, you should have no problem doing it yourself which is another element that makes smart home products so convenient. With most of these products, you don’t need to pay for professional installation or service if you don’t want it.

To break it down, you can use smart video doorbells in place of a traditional one and you can see and communicate with visitors remotely smartphone thanks to a companion app. Finally, they come with a variety of extra features like motion sensing capabilities to help keep an eye on your home and make you feel more secure.

With package theft and home invasions on the rise, it’s important to use technology to keep your family and loved ones safe. A smart video doorbell can provide he peace of mind you need.

What do you think? Please share your reasons for getting a video doorbell in the comments below!